


Uncontrolled Variables

by StarsCrackedOpen (Misthia)



Series: Things Carried, Unseen [13]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Anakin Skywalker Needs a Hug, BAMF Ahsoka Tano, Best Friends, Force Bond (Star Wars), Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Master & Padawan Relationship(s), Missions Gone Wrong, Pre-Relationship, Protective Anakin Skywalker, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-07-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:15:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25585759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Misthia/pseuds/StarsCrackedOpen
Summary: Kix glanced back at him. “General. Will you hold her other hand?” Anakin switched sides, moving to her left side and holding out his flesh hand. She grasped it, her hand suddenly so small in his, though every bit as callused.Or: In which a mission goes sideways, Ahsoka is injured, and Anakin blames himself.
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker/Ahsoka Tano
Series: Things Carried, Unseen [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1839160
Comments: 8
Kudos: 199





	Uncontrolled Variables

**Author's Note:**

> Me again. This has become my stress relief. Lots of stress. Hopefully you enjoy this. For once, it doesn’t involve food or sleep. This takes place probably around season 4 (though wait — when was the Twilight destroyed again? The ship might change), so before “Catch A Wave” but after the others. As usual, while I wrote it pre-ship and with hints to further emotions, it’s ambiguous enough to interpret as you will.

* * *

The mission had been simple enough in theory. Fly in incognito on the Twilight, lead a landing party that would set charges to take out Separatist shield generators, detonate them upon returning to the ship, and they’d rejoin the sortie for an aerial bombardment of one of the Seppies’ hidden shipyards while no one was there.

In reality, it had gone very wrong.

Anakin, Ahsoka, and Fives had split up, each with a couple of reinforcements, to plant the charges as Rex waited with the ship. Ahsoka had planted hers and rejoined her master as he set his own and double-checked it. Anakin keyed his comm. “Fives, status report.”

_“Second position armed and ready to go, sir.”_

“Ahsoka?”

She smiled. “All set!”

He nodded and transmitted again. “Rex, we’re headed back.”

 _“Roger, sir.”_ Fives and the other clones started back, taking point.

Anakin smirked at his padawan, inclining his head back at the Twilight. “Race you back?”

She smirked back. “You think you can catch me? I’m taller than I used to be.”

He chuckled. “And you’re _still_ a head shorter than me. Let’s see what you got.”

He took off with her in hot pursuit, but she almost immediately stopped dead, inclining her head, keen hearing clearly picking up something no one else could. “Something’s wro—”

She didn’t get a chance to finish as the charge they’d been directly next to a minute prior blew, the shockwave throwing her airborne and sending the rest staggering or to their knees.

Anakin hit his comm as he regained his balance, sprinting now for the ship before they were discovered. “Rex! Get the thrusters firing now!”

_“Roger!”_

Ahsoka hit the ground hard, landing on her right arm with a sharp cry, and Anakin felt the echo of her pain through their bond as he reached the ramp. He turned. The ship was rising. “Ahsoka—!”

She gritted her teeth and pushed to her feet, running for the ship and leaping for it, reaching with her left arm as she propelled herself up with both her own strength and the Force. Anakin caught her by the forearm and hauled her in as they shot off into upper atmo and the door closed. She landed on her feet this time, and Anakin turned to survey the team.

The comm sounded. _“General, the Separatists were alerted by the detonation — they’re boarding their ships. Looks like they’re trying to escape.”_

Anakin swore under his breath. Their orders were not to pursue in case of failure — failure had never been in his plan. The Seppies’ ships had scattered, and an easy win thwarted by one rogue charge detonating early. His charge. But he knew he’d set it correctly. _Was it faulty? Sabotage?_

Rex’s voice cut through his thoughts. _“Orders, sir?”_

Anakin gritted his teeth. “Plot a course for Coruscant. We’ll never catch all of them now.”

_“Roger, sir.”_

As they jumped to hyperspace, Anakin exhaled, frustrated. “That _wasn’t_ how I’d planned for that to go. Everyone accounted for?” He scanned the crew, and everyone was there, to his relief. A trooper’s voice piped up from the edge of the cargo bay.

“Commander Tano — you’re hurt.”

Time slowed for a moment. Anakin turned to see his padawan looking pale and her right arm hanging strangely. Her shoulder was deformed, the ball of her upper arm jutting forward against the skin. It was starting to swell, the vibrant skin stretched and shiny.

She grimaced. “I think you’re right.”

Immediately Anakin turned to Fives. “Tell Kix to meet us in the medbay. Ahsoka—”

“Right behind you,” she said, a strained smile on her face. She let Anakin usher her there without protest, a sure sign in itself that something was very wrong. He lowered the exam table, careful not to jostle her as she perched on the edge.

“Can you move your arm?”

“Not really.” Another strained smile, she didn’t want her master to think her weak. “Definitely can feel it though.”

“You’re gonna be okay, Snips.”

She huffed something between a laugh and a grunt. “I know.” She was clearly in pain, though her jaw was set. He felt a surge of pride through the guilt and anger fighting in his chest. Kix came through the doorway a moment later, immediately examining the shoulder, removing her bracer to check for feeling and circulation in the arm.

“That’s dislocated, all right. Anterior. Very common, I can put it back into place right now — it’ll feel better almost immediately, though you’ll still need a trip to the healers at the temple...”

Kix was still talking as he adjusted the table, inclining the top half up so she could recline into the needed position. He was explaining how he was going to “reduce” her shoulder. Anakin hovered behind him, only half-listening now that he knew she could be treated immediately. The other half was cursing himself, the premature charge and the fact that he hadn’t immediately noticed how injured she was in the blast. He pulled himself back mentally to the medbay. Kix was positioning his hands on Ahsoka’s arm.

“Ready?”

She nodded.

Kix glanced back at him. “General. Will you hold her other hand?” Anakin switched sides, moving to her left side and holding out his flesh hand. She grasped it, her hand suddenly so small in his, though every bit as callused. He squeezed lightly, pressing reassurance through her palm and the Force.

The medic began to maneuver her arm out, and she hissed through clenched teeth. Her hand tightened painfully in Anakin’s, and not for the first time he was impressed by the physical strength in her small frame. Kix was speaking again. “You’re doing great. Almost there. This will feel strange.”

He was moving her arm up now, feeling for the right spot, aligning carefully. She grunted once as Kix rotated her forearm, squeezing Anakin’s hand even tighter, bones aching. All of a sudden the pieces realigned and her shoulder slid back in. She made a noise between a laugh and a gasp and shuddered as the pain evened out.

Kix checked her pulse in the arm and wrist and confirmed no numbness or tingling before giving her a dose of anti-inflammatory in the joint and smiling approvingly. “Back where it belongs. I’m going to splint it — the healers will be able to finish the job, but until you’re back to the temple I don’t want you moving it around.”

Ahsoka’s hand trembled very slightly in Anakin’s and he could feel her relief in the Force. As Kix stepped away for a splint, her head bowed and she sighed. Anakin bent over her protectively. “Snips?” he murmured, and she turned her head, resting it against his chest for a moment. He pressed through reassurance and comfort in the Force. Her voice was muffled by his clothing.

“M’okay.”

 _You did very well._ He sent the thought with a glow of pride, tamping down his anger at himself. Not the time. She straightened as Kix came back, her face a mask of calm, if still a little pale. The pride, and something else in Anakin’s chest, grew.

The medic splinted her and set her arm in a sling, and Ahsoka released Anakin’s hand and swung down from the table.“Thanks Kix.” He nodded, and Ahsoka continued. “Come on, master. We have a ship to fly.” He knew she was still in pain, could feel it through their bond, but her face was carefully composed.

“ _We? You_ need to rest—”

She shrugged her good shoulder. “I’m fine.” She fixed him with a pointed look. “You’ve done it through worse.”

“No, Rex will co-pilot. It’s not a one-handed job, Ahsoka.”

Her face screwed up into what she would deny was a pout and he knew she was about to argue, but something in his expression must have given her pause. She sighed. “Yes, master.”

* * *

Ahsoka found him the next day standing in the spot they’d go to meditate — something neither of them were particularly good at. His arms were crossed, brow furrowed as he gazed at something she couldn’t see.

She waved with her repaired arm as she approached, and he raised an eyebrow.

“Good as new. They said no sparring or weight bearing for another day, but then I should be back to dicing clankers.”

He nodded, relieved but still feeling guilty. He turned back to look over the city below again. The charge could have killed her. If they’d stayed in place another minute talking, they both could be dead. “Ahsoka, I’m sorry.”

She frowned. “For what?”

“That was _not_ how that was supposed to happen. The Separatists got away, we didn’t complete the mission, and you were injured.”

“Master, you couldn’t have known that charge was bad. It happens. No one blames you, and I’m fine.”

“You could have been killed by a charge _I_ set.”

Ahsoka shook her head. “But I wasn’t. Besides, master — like you told me, that’s the reality of command.”

His eyes shot over to her, loath to hear his own words pointed back at him. She went on, voice gentle. “We’re all fine, it was just a dislocated shoulder, and now it’s just another story to tell later.”

Ahsoka must have been able to feel he was unconvinced, because she lowered her shielding to him, and he could see the truth in what she was saying — she didn’t blame him for it. All that was there was her usual bright warmth and a trickle of concern for him.

She could have died, and she was worried about _him_. His scowl deepened for a moment, and then cleared somewhat as she put a hand on his arm, clearly sensing his conflicted state. He shook his head. “I’m fine, Snips. Take the day, rest, watch some of those holo-shows you and Obi-wan like so much.” He half-suppressed a smile at her eye roll. “We’ll pick up training tomorrow as usual.”

Ahsoka nodded, patting his arm as she turned away. She sent another wave of reassurance even as she headed off to her quarters, and he held it secretly, gratefully, in his mind. As it faded, though, his thoughts turned back to what could have happened and his face clouded again. He uncrossed his arms.

Today he wore a glove on his left hand as well. He peeled it off.

Dark purple bruises in the shape of fingers encircled his palm, the imprint of Ahsoka’s pain as her shoulder had been put back into joint. He pressed his metal thumb against one mark, gritting his teeth as his own pain flared.

Even if she denied it, he had failed her. He would not fail her again.

_**Fin.** _

**Author's Note:**

> Got a bit darker there than I initially intended — the end became one of those moments where we see some of his darkness come through, even with the best of intentions. And it really wasn’t his fault — I think though if he feels it was, it becomes something controllable and thus he would rather lay the blame on himself somehow instead of admit that it wasn’t in his control.
> 
> It’s interesting, because I’d argue Ahsoka clearly brings out the best in him — and I think that’s exactly _why_ , when she’s threatened, his darker instincts can come out so strongly.


End file.
